"'What a strange new constellation!' he thought, named "Scapegoat!" Two stars on a pair of men talking softly to each other were the tips of the horns. Fixed on a young woman's dress was the bright yellow goat's eye... still more stars filled in the animal's body" (page 366)
“ By the end of the fourth day, some -the oldest, the youngest- were dying. Semmelberg fought for every breath. Philipp and Ellen tried to hold him up and move him near a fresh-are crack. He sagged heavily into their arms, ‘Let him down Let my father down!’ she screamed. In a space barely big enough for a sack of potatoes, Semmelberg fell into a heap. Philipp felt for his pulse, knowing already that he would find none. ‘It’s over for him,’ he said, softly. ‘We still have a ways to go.’” (page 370-371)
Summary:
In the opening of the chapter, Phillip leaves his job at the Jewish hospital to go to either Pohlendorf or Bavaria. Then Phillip attempted to get on a streetcar, which was not allowed because he was a Jew. Phillip was forced off of the streetcar into a car by the police, which transported him and other Jewish people to a train station. There he met the Semmelbergs from Pohlendorf that he remembered from childhood. They were forced into a train car that was on its way to Auschwitz. There were hundreds crammed into these cars, left without food, water or a place to relieve themselves. When they arrived at the camp they were put through selection. This decided who lived and who died. During the selection, Phillip sees Johann and cries out to him. This gets the attention of the guards and they release their dogs and start shooting at Phillip. Johann calls them off and orders them to bring him to the hospital ward to regain health. When Johann goes to see Philipp, he freshens his bandages and Philipp asks him to find Ellen. Johann says he will try his best, but he cannot guarantee anything even though they just arrived.
Characters
Doktor Lustig- Works with Phillip at the polyclinic, wants him to stay a Jew and hide
Richard Semmelberg- From Pohlendorf husband of Rivika now lives in and hides out with daughter Ellen until her husband dies
Ellen Richter- Nurse her husband was a Geman salesman but killed in war.
David Stein- Philipp Father
Vocabulary:
gawk (365)- an ackward person prodded (365)- poked with a pointed object veneer (370)- a thin decorative covering over another surface reverie (372)- daydream; condition of being lost in thought
Key Concepts& Events:
The Bombing of Berlin (p. 365)
Gestapo (p. 365)- Nazi Police
Ostmark (p. 363)- Eastern Realm (formerly independent Austria)
RosenstraBe (p. 365)- Rose Street
Minyan (p. 365)- sacred number of Jewish people
Anhalter Bahnhof (p. 366)- former railway in Berlin
Krankenbehandler (p. 368)- higher-up physician
Kapos (p. 372)- war prisoner of Nazi Germany
Mach schnell (p. 368)- "make it fast"
Sau Jude (p. 373)- "pig Jew"
Chapter 18: An Unfeeling Tool
Memorable Passage:
"'What a strange new constellation!' he thought, named "Scapegoat!" Two stars on a pair of men talking softly to each other were the tips of the horns. Fixed on a young woman's dress was the bright yellow goat's eye... still more stars filled in the animal's body" (page 366)“ By the end of the fourth day, some -the oldest, the youngest- were dying. Semmelberg fought for every breath. Philipp and Ellen tried to hold him up and move him near a fresh-are crack. He sagged heavily into their arms, ‘Let him down Let my father down!’ she screamed. In a space barely big enough for a sack of potatoes, Semmelberg fell into a heap. Philipp felt for his pulse, knowing already that he would find none. ‘It’s over for him,’ he said, softly. ‘We still have a ways to go.’” (page 370-371)
Summary:
In the opening of the chapter, Phillip leaves his job at the Jewish hospital to go to either Pohlendorf or Bavaria. Then Phillip attempted to get on a streetcar, which was not allowed because he was a Jew. Phillip was forced off of the streetcar into a car by the police, which transported him and other Jewish people to a train station. There he met the Semmelbergs from Pohlendorf that he remembered from childhood. They were forced into a train car that was on its way to Auschwitz. There were hundreds crammed into these cars, left without food, water or a place to relieve themselves. When they arrived at the camp they were put through selection. This decided who lived and who died. During the selection, Phillip sees Johann and cries out to him. This gets the attention of the guards and they release their dogs and start shooting at Phillip. Johann calls them off and orders them to bring him to the hospital ward to regain health. When Johann goes to see Philipp, he freshens his bandages and Philipp asks him to find Ellen. Johann says he will try his best, but he cannot guarantee anything even though they just arrived.Characters
Doktor Lustig- Works with Phillip at the polyclinic, wants him to stay a Jew and hideRichard Semmelberg- From Pohlendorf husband of Rivika now lives in and hides out with daughter Ellen until her husband dies
Ellen Richter- Nurse her husband was a Geman salesman but killed in war.
David Stein- Philipp Father
Vocabulary:
gawk (365)- an ackward personprodded (365)- poked with a pointed object
veneer (370)- a thin decorative covering over another surface
reverie (372)- daydream; condition of being lost in thought
Key Concepts& Events:
The Bombing of Berlin (p. 365)
Gestapo (p. 365)- Nazi Police
Ostmark (p. 363)- Eastern Realm (formerly independent Austria)
RosenstraBe (p. 365)- Rose Street
Minyan (p. 365)- sacred number of Jewish people
Anhalter Bahnhof (p. 366)- former railway in Berlin
Krankenbehandler (p. 368)- higher-up physician
Kapos (p. 372)- war prisoner of Nazi Germany
Mach schnell (p. 368)- "make it fast"
Sau Jude (p. 373)- "pig Jew"